Meeting
by Damusen
Summary: The first meeting.  Slash if you squint, preDallyJohnny.


A meeting.

I'm back baby! I wrote those two slash Johnny/Pony pieces and I liked the responses I got, so here we go, another little one-shot, in which Dallas Winston is introduced to the softer side of life.

Ages:

Johnny: 12

Dally: 13

Darry: 15

Soda: 12

Pony: 10

Disclaimer: It's not my baby, I swear!!! Oh…you wanted me to disclaim the story..-cough-…um yes, I do not own any part of said book/film or rights…let me just go and…move this sack…

"I swear to God kid, you come back and I'll fucking kill ya! You hear me! Goddamit don't you even think 'bout stepping foot in this goddamn house again, ya hear!"

The screams were punctuated with a kick to the ribs that sent the child flying down the porch steps and onto the hard ground layered with stringy shoots, way past any simple rectification that would come with a hard afternoon of weeding. Although the garden may have had a chance to flourish once, like the family whom occupied the decrepit house within the peeling, picket fence, no one was quite ready to tend to it.

Dallas Winston had watched the scene with some interest, having arrived in Tulsa some weeks earlier and summarised that in comparison to New York, his life would be relatively tame. Sure, he'd managed to find himself a few fights, and the liquor was easy to come by, and yeah, he liked Tim Shepherd well enough for all that he was a pain in the ass and strolled around the streets like he fucking owned them, but there was no real danger, and for all he despised New York, goddamn he was bored.

So, the opportunity of watching something happen was too damn good to pass up, especially if it involved kicking the crap outta some abusing bastards ass.

"You shit, come back when you're not such a fucking waste of space."

The man spat at the prone form on the ground and stumbled back up the steps, a harsh, screeching women's voice yelling something that was cut off abruptly by the slamming door. Dally watched the shaking dark-haired boy push himself to his feet and clutch a hand to his abdomen, his long black hair shielding his face from view. From what little he could see of the boys skin he was very tanned, much darker than Dally's. Actually, he considered as the boy turned around, showing off eyes as black as his hair and huge with it, he was pretty much his polar opposite.

"You alright?"

The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he scowled more to himself than anything with just how nice he had probably just sounded. The boy snapped his head around to him and stared through a black, greasy fringe, his eyes wide and skittish. Well, if he hadn't just witnessed the previous scene he still would have guessed at smacked around just from that look. Coupled with the skinniness and the bruises, this kid was a walking disaster.

"Yeah," the voice was almost a whisper.

Neither of them moved, Daly realising he'd managed to get himself involved somehow, and the kid because he was too nervous or too hurt or too whatever.

"Uh, so what's your name."

"Johnny."

"I'm Dallas, Dallas Winston."

"Yeah, I know."

"What?"

"Nuthin…"

Johnny shoved his hands deep into a ratty jean jacket and looked at the ground.

"So, what, you need a doctor or sumthin?"

"No."

"You got somewhere to go?"

The boys face tilted slightly, as if wondering why the hell Dallas Winston was talking to him. Dally found himself wondering the same thing.

"Yeah…"

"Alright…well, go then."

Dally walked away, pulling a face at the sheer absurdity of the situation and wondering when he had started caring about random little boys who didn't know when not to go home.

"Hey, um, Dallas, do you maybe want to come with me? The Curtis' are real nice and they probably got sumthin' to eat…"

Dally turned to stare at the boy who looked as though a puff of wind would blow him over and yet had the nerve to invite him to dinner at a total strangers house. He grinned, showing all his teeth.

"Sure, why not?"

The Curtis' were nice, Dally surmised as he glanced around the table. He'd already met Darry a few times before, so he'd been surprised when he saw the football genius swoop down on Johnny like some sort of mother hen. The parents were tuff, especially Mrs Curtis, and if Dally were older he reckoned he'd be right in love. And man, could she cook.

Soda was a goddamn looker, and he wouldn't have guessed that he and Johnny were the same age. The kid looked more like Pony's age, who didn't say two words during the meal, but had several short essays on the fridge, each labelled an A. He'd thought about making some smartass comment about choices in names, but Darry was all brawn and brains as well and he had no desire to get on the bad side of one of the most popular football players in the town's high school.

Unused to family meals, he found himself floundering with his tough persona, which he didn't think would go down too well. So he laughed at the anecdotes and chipped in a few of the more tasteful jokes he knew that earned a roar of laughter from the older boys and Mr Curtis, a small smile from Johnny, a reproachful but amused look from the matriarch and a confused glance from Ponyboy.

It got late but he felt no prompting to leave the warm little house, drawn as he was to the first real family he'd ever known. Ponyboy was packed off to bed despite his feeble yawning protests and Soda amused them all with a cheerleading dance that he'd learnt from the girl he was currently dating, whilst attempting to eat the largest slice of chocolate cake Dally had ever seen. All too soon the night ended, and although they offered the sofa for him and Johnny, he declined, feeling it was already too weird a day to be pushing it. Oddly enough, Johnny followed him, even after gentle persuasion which told him that the Curtis's knew all about the kid's home life.

Without a place to stay, he decided he'd be better off ambling towards Buck's and staying there.

"Hey, Dallas?"

The voice was real quiet, and he wondered how anyone ever heard him.

"Yeah, what?"

The boy flinched at his gravelling voice and Dally even felt bad enough to apologise. Glory.

"You can come with me tonight if ya want..?"

"What, with your crazy folks? Nah, I'll pass."

"Oh. Actually I was thinking about the lot, um, it's real nice in the summer, 'coz it's not too cold out…I'll be there if you need somewhere to go…"

Dally watched the small boy stumble away from him and felt something hit him hard. Here was someone, who without asking anything in return, had just given him the best night of his life. And he was throwing back in his face.

"Hey, Johnny, man, wait up!"

And that is how Dallas Winston met the only person he would ever truly love.

That was so pointless…Anyhow, you know what to do.


End file.
